1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to gaming systems. More particularly, embodiments relate to electronic delivery of gaming tickets in an asynchronous environment.
2. Discussion
Gaming systems such as future draw and instant lotteries continue to grow in popularity. Traditionally, such gaming systems have been implemented in a point-of-sale environment in which the user or consumer purchases a physical gaming ticket in person. More recent approaches, however, have implemented such systems in an online environment in which the consumer uses a networked computer to access a server that functions as a gaming system. While conventional online gaming systems have been effective under certain circumstances, a number of difficulties remain.
A particular difficulty results from the synchronous nature of conventional online gaming systems. For example, a number of web sites contain invitations to participate in one or more games. While visiting the site, the user can reply instantaneously to the invitation according to a synchronous, or session-based, transaction protocol such as the well documented hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). The term “session” is used herein to describe a lasting connection between a user (or user agent) and a peer, which is typically a server. The connection usually involves the exchange of many packets between the user's computer and the server. A session is sometimes implemented as a layer in a network protocol (e.g., telnet, file transfer protocol/FTP). In the case of protocols where there is no concept of a session layer or where sessions at the session layer are generally short-lived (e.g., HTTP), “virtual” sessions are implemented by having each exchange between the user and the remote most include some form of cookie, which stores state information. State information may include a unique session identifier, information about the user's preferences or authorization, etc.
In any event, session-based protocols typically involve the synchronous transfer of information between the user's computer and the server. For example, in online gaming systems, the server might send a web page to a user over the network connection, where the web page contains an invitation to purchase a gaming ticket. If the user agrees, a synchronous reply is sent back to the server over the network during the session between the user terminal and the server. Unfortunately, synchronous transactions require a relatively high amount of attention from the user because the user must participate in a session in order to complete a given transaction. For example, the user must typically locate the web site and navigate through the various pages required in order to reply to the invitation. Indeed, it has proven to be quite difficult to attract users to a given gaming web site in the first place. Furthermore, it has been determined that synchronous transactions and session-based transaction protocols can be intimidating to users, particularly in the gaming context. There is therefore a need to provide for the generation of electronic gaming tickets in a manner that does not have the shortcomings associated with synchronous communication and session-based transaction protocols.
While certain approaches such asynchronous subscription services have been developed in the gaming context, a number of difficulties still remain. For example, the typical asynchronous subscription service permits the user to select numbers to be played on a regular basis. The invitation to participate as well as the reply to the invitation can be transmitted according to a stand-alone transaction protocol such as an email protocol, and therefore may be considered to be asynchronous in nature. Such a service does not, however, send an electronic gaming ticket to the user. As a result, subscription based gaming systems do not simulate the traditional playing of a gaming system and have been determined to often lack the desired level of excitement to achieve widespread popularity among consumers. There is therefore a need for a gaming system that is asynchronous in nature and more closely simulates the playing of a gaming system in a traditional environment.